


The Eye of the Storm

by kwillpleasedont



Series: one shots only one shots [10]
Category: Infinite (Band)
Genre: M/M, more angst and death haha, sorry - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-28
Updated: 2017-07-28
Packaged: 2018-12-07 22:42:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,336
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11633454
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kwillpleasedont/pseuds/kwillpleasedont
Summary: In your memoriesIn the light of the memoriesI think I could live>Infinite - The Eye





	The Eye of the Storm

There's a shoebox that sits on the highest shelf all the way in the back, pressed against the cold hard wall, of Sungyeol's closet.

The five other boys Sungyeol lives with don't much about him. Aside from his name there isn't much information they have been able to gain from him. Sungyeol remained a mystery to the kids with the curious eyes.

That is, until Woohyun discovered the box. the old, beaten up shoebox in a closet Sungyeol said not to go into.

Woohyun had made sure that Sungyeol would be away for a whole day before he braved to take it down from its perch a week later. He ushered the rest of the boys into Seungyeol's room, Dongwoo on lookout in case he came back, and they sat on the floor in a circle around the box. Woohyun carefully and slowly lifted the lid, sending dust in every direction.

Sungkyu was the one to reach a hand in first. He pulled out handfuls of letters and photographs dated years ago. They each grabbed a letter, noticing they all were open, and eagerly took the letters out to read them. One by one each of the boys' curious expressions fell to one of sadness and surprise. Myungsoo dropped his letter and started to flit through all the photographs.

When they all were finished, when they had gotten the answered they long searched for, they weren't sure what to do. None of them had the heart to find it anticlimactic after reading what they did.

Howon began to gather up all the letters, placing them back in their envelopes and filing them in chronological order, like they were before. he took the photos from Myungsoo's hands and placed them with the letters back into the shoebox. He was the one who closed the box back up and stood to hide it again like they had never seen it in the first place.

Woohyun was too shocked to do much but look down at his hands. Myungsoo cleared his throat first to break the eerie silence. He didn't speak, nor did he make any other noises, he simply got up from his place on the floor and left the room. Woohyun immediately followed after him, imagining what to say. How does one react to a situation such as this?

Howon and Dongwoo each went to their rooms and locked their doors to not be disturbed. Being alone probably wouldn't solve anything but being with the others after their display of betrayal was hard.

Sungkyu thought long and hard about what to do. He was the only member left sitting on the floor of Sungyeol's room when he returned that night. Sungkyu was still lost inside his own head, thinking of inner term oils that didn't belong to him. He wanted to say something, to mention the box, but they weren't supposed to know about it. He eventually stood and left Sungyeol's room without a word to the other man.

What tipped Sungyeol off was the dust. A few too many sneezes in a season where pollen wouldn't terrorize him lead him to check on the box. The dust could only be from that corner of his room, he cleaned every other spot regularly but he hasn't touched that box, or that shelf, since he moved in.

Finding out that the rest of the boys knew was troublesome, sure. He couldn't hide it any longer, nor did he want to. The guilt and sadness was practically eating him away. Several years later and Sungyeol still wasn't able to escape the hell he fled Yongin for. He never brought it up with the boys, he couldn't bear the thought of saying his name, but they all knew. They threw sad smiles at Sungyeol's face when the silence was getting a little too heavy. They coughed awkwardly when a death scene occurred in a movie.

And no one brought it up to him. Like some unspoken agreement between the other five boys, the box remained a topic deemed off limits. Woohyun no longer bugged him with pleads of borrowing clothes, Myungsoo suggested they play games in his room instead of Sungyeol's now. It was almost like they equated Sungjong's final place of rest to Sungyeol's room. as if Sungjong's body would be under Sungyeol's bed or in his closet with the box.

Sungyeol picked a hot summer night when the rest of the boys were out visiting family or friends. He only hesitated for a second before quickly grabbing the box from the shelf. He took it to the backyard and grabbed one of the lighters Howon kept lying around, along with a cartridge of cigarettes he often hid from Sungkyu. Sungyeol will buy him a replacement later, he wants to smoke.

He went through everything one last time. Reread the letters, laughed and cried over the pictures in between drags from the cigarette and flicks of the ash. Then, he lit them on fire. He watched with an expressionless face as he let his final pieces of Sungjong burn to nothingness.

When the boys returned the next day Sungyeol was still sitting outside in their backyard. He had taken another one of Howon's secret packs of cigarettes and had chain smoked through the night. The cigarette buts and empty cartons laid scattered at his feet.

"He killed himself." Sungyeol finally says, his eyes teary.

"We know, we read the letters." Sungkyu sighs. He still isn't sure what to do. After the admission of their defiance and blatant betrayal he didn't know what to do. He didn't know where they stood with Sungyeol.

"I loved him." The tears brimming in Sungyeol's eyes fell one by one.

"We know."

The last letter, the one not from Sungjong, rings in Sungkyu's mind. He tries to imagine what Sungyeol felt when he read it, tried to equate it to one of his own life experiences but came up with nothing. He hasn't lost a lover the way Sungyeol has, hasn't truly felt that kind of pain and loss.

Howon steps forward and takes another pack of cigarettes from his pocket to give to Sungyeol with a bow. An apology for being nosy. He'll try harder later, he'll truly make it up to Sungyeol when he isn't so messed up.

Sungyeol accepts them with a hiccup and a choked off cry. He lights another and breathes the smoke out shakily into the midday air.

_Dear Mr . Lee Sungyeol,_   
_This is S_ _ungjong's_ _mother. I'm aware of the relationship you had with my son and I wanted_ _to_ _tell you of his passing. I know this must be hard to hear,_ _especially_ _in this format, but I did not have your cellphone number_ _and_ _your address was on a letter Sungjong_ _received_ _last week._   
_He left a note. He said that he loved you and wanted you to know, that_ _he's_ _sorry_ _for_ _what_ _he's_ _done and to not be_ _angry_ _with him._   
_I'm terribly sorry for having to tell you this way. I hope_ _you'll_ _be able to find peace._

"Are you angry at him?" Sungkyu asks after a couple beats of silence has passed. Sungyeol let's out a watery laugh.

"How could I be? I loved him too much to ever be angry at him, no matter what he did." He responds and lights up another cigarette. Sungkyu would usually scold Howon for this, smoking that is. Whether it be one cigarette or a pack a day, Sungkyu didn't like it. He knew what they could do to someone and he didn't want that to happen to Howon. but now, now Sungkyu has nothing to say. There isn't anything he can say. It's not his place to tell Sungyeol how he can handle himself right now.

"You'll find peace. One day." Sungkyu finally says and rests a hand on Sungyeol's shoulder. That cracks the dam for Sungyeol and his tears spill freely down his face one immediately after the other, with no control.


End file.
